Secrecy
by Ranowa Hikura
Summary: Set during OoP. Snape deals with McGonagall's injury. SS/MM, but focuses on Snape. Oneshot.
1. Chapter 1

Hey you guys. I got inspired after watching Order of the Phoenix last night and just sat down and wrote this. It was intended to be more SS/MM, but ended up being just a Snape story.

Disclaimer: Don't own nothing. Duh.

Severus watched coolly as the students filed into his room. To be honest, ever since Umbridge had began her reign on the school, his class had been much easier to teach and control. His students were far more interested in causing disruptions in Umbridges' classes then his, but, then again, that would be the more bold members to the student body. After being sentenced to Umbridge's detentions- of which it was now common knowledge that she practically tortured students- the younger or more weak children were terrified of doing anything to attract attention.

He sighed, shaking his head. Yes, things would seem wonderful for him, but everybody in the school was miserable- well, except for those infernal Weasley twins. They thrived on Umbridge's strict rules, finding more and more ways to make up problems for her and amuse the others, both teachers and students alike. Personally, Severus found their antics simply annoying, but he had to admit, they had style when it came to making people's lives hell. Dumbledore would have appreciated it, but he had been forced to disappear from the public eye, for the time being. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time until he was back.

"They say she'll be all right. But McGonagall's not too young, and they hit her with _four_ spells all at once."

"Four spells, god... if this isn't Umbridge's last nail in the coffin, I don't know what is."

"What were they trying to do, kill her?"

"They got bloody well close as it was, Ron!"

Severus's head snapped up at his students' quiet discussion. There had been some mention about a fight on the grounds last night among the students, but he had never heard anything about it to indicate that it was serious. Certainly not that Minerva had nearly been killed. As accomplished of a witch as she was, the duel must have been brutal. He got to his feet and swept to the front of the room, effectively silencing his class. "Does anybody know what actually happened last night?" He was greeted by absolute stillness. "Anyone?" he asked coldly.

Finally, Hermione said softly, "There was a fight on the grounds last night; Umbridge and several Aurors went to kick Hagrid off school grounds last night. He put up a fight; we were taking our exam in the astronomy tower when we heard. Professor McGonagall must have heard; she came outside and tried to help Hagrid. Umbridge and her people hit her with four stunning spells at once before they drove Hagrid off. He did beat up Umbridge's people pretty good though..."

Severus swallowed, fingering the tip of his wand. Four stunning spells? _At once_? That was a hell of alot of force, and Minerva wasn't as young as she used to be. He raised his eyes and realized his students were all watching him curiously, probably surprised at his sudden interest in what had happened. Clearing his throat, he forced his eyes back down to the many potions on his desk and start fiddling with one of them as he asked, trying to appear unconcerned, "Ah, I see. Do you know if Minerva is going to be all right?"

Now that aura of surprise was practically palpable; he heard several students gasp in shock and sensed rather than saw all the others look up at him to stare. He raised his cold glare to the class and most of them immediately looked away. Eventually, Hermione had regained her composure enough to say, "Um, I'm not sure. They took her to St. Mungo's- from what I've heard, she'll be okay, but no one has explicitly told me anything. I'm not exactly in the loop on this..."

Severus hesitated, thinking quickly. The Order. Yes, the Order would know if Minerva was all right. He would stand for members of the Order being murdered by The Dark Lord, but right here, at Hogwarts, just because the Ministry didn't want to accept the truth about his return? They needed every witch and wizard in the war against Voldermort that they could get, and losing people because Fudge was a complete moron did not make him happy. He was angry. He wouldn't to take his wand and cause the room to burst into flames. No, cause Umbridge to burst into flames. That would be more enjoyable.

"Everyone is to write an essay on the preparation and uses of Draught of Living Death, to be turned into me first thing Monday morning. Class dismissed." With that, Severus stormed out into the hallway, focusing on how he would get to headquarters without Umbridge knowing. It was no secret that Dumbledore had had difficulty getting to headquarters during the school year with Umbridge watching him like a hawk- it wasn't that he wouldn't have been able to, but remaining discreet was still vital.

Finally, he decided on leaving via broomstick. He still needed a reason, though, to give Umbridge if she interrogated him about it. ...a family emergency would of worked if he had any family. He hesitated, chewing on his lower lip as he mulled over his options, then smirked as he hit gold- Wolfsbane potion. He could say he was delivering some to Lupin. The Ministry knew he was a werewolf, and after all, Wolfsbane potion was so difficult to make it would be very expensive. He could claim he was simply helping a friend out... well, if he had any friends, that would be more plausible, but it wasn't like he had the time to come up with a good excuse. And he could just advise Lupin of what to say in case the Ministry decided to interrogate him about his visit.

Shaking his head, Severus swept out onto the grounds and was headed to the Forbidden Forest, where he could leave without attracting attention and where Umbridge would never go, when his attention was attracted to a dent and rather large crack in the castle wall. He stopped walking for a moment, staring at it, then started practically running to the forest. Those walls were made of thick stone; only an object- aka Minerva- colliding with them at very high speed could of caused them.

Clenching his hand into a fist, Severus headed off into the forest at a quicker pace than before. He waved his wand back at the castle for his broomstick, then shot spells at several trees, breaking them in half with loud snaps while waiting for his broom to show up. Causing things to break and explode had always been an outlet for him, and as he gazed at the smoking remains of his fury, he had to admit, he felt a little more in control than before. At least now he wasn't fighting the urge to go do the same to Umbridge as he had done to these trees anymore.

When his broom arrived, Severus took off immediately, hoping to get to headquarters before Umbridge even realized he was missing.

"This is not good," Sirius observed as he tapped his fingers on the table. "Now every source we have at Hogwarts is gone except for... _Snape_. And we all know how questionable his loyalties are," he sneered.

"Sirius, come on. Dumbledore trusts him," Molly said as she handed him a cup of tea.

"Yes, and how many times have we been over this? Dumbledore can be wrong. And I'm not the only one who's thought he was wrong about Snape from the beginning. And need I remind you that it was Dumbledore who said that the situation with Umbridge would resolve itself? Well, look how that turned out. One member of the Order is in the hospital and Dumbledore is in hiding. Not to mention-"

"Look, perhaps what happened with Umbridge was part of Dumbledore's plan all along," Arthur said, shaking his head. "You never know, with that man."

Sirius groaned loudly and rolled his eyes. "See, that's what I'm talking about. When someone like Dumbledore makes a mistake, everyone assumes it was part of some brilliant plan of his or something. Well maybe, it was just that- a mistake."

Molly and Arthur just shook their heads, exasperated. They had had discussions on Snape's loyalty many times before, with the Weasley twins usually siding with Siruis and Lupin siding with Molly and Arthur. The other members of the Order were all split so the sides were pretty much even, with those that trusted Dumbledore without fail and those that thought Snape had him wrapped around his little finger.

"Well, regardless on whether or not you trust him, Siruis, we need to talk to Snape. We need someone at Hogwarts, both to give us inside information on what Umbridge is doing and to keep an eye on Harry," Lupin said from his spot in the corner, where he had been watching the entire exchange.

"Oh, yeah, to keep an eye on Harry. I talked to him a couple days ago; he said Snape is giving him hell with the Occlumency lessons and thinks that they're all Snape's idea in the first place, since he's convinced Snape hates him and enjoys making him suffer. Which I say is not far off."

Everybody just sighed at that. Even Sirius had admitted that the Occlumency lessons were necessary, but he wasn't too happy about it. "Look, Sirius," Lupin said. "All I'm saying is that Snape-"

"-doesn't like people discussing him behind his back." Everybody looked up in surprise as Snape swept into the room, dressed in his usual black cloak, pallid and cold as ever.

"Speak of the devil," Sirius muttered under his breath. "Literally."

Snape glared at him, then turned to the others and said, "I just heard what happened at Hogwarts last night. Is Minerva all right?"

Everyone stared at him in surprise before deciding it wasn't concern for the other woman's health, it was just worry over how much more difficult this would make his work for the Order at Hogwarts. Eventually, Molly said, "Yes, she's fine. She'll be at St. Mungo's for a while, but she's a tough cookie."

"Fudge isn't making too much noise about it, considering one his favorites assaulted Dumbledore's right hand," Arthur continued. "Not that he's too big a fan of Dumbledore these days."

Severus nodded, but he wasn't too surprised. In all likelihood, Umbridge had told Fudge a story that glorified herself, the story of her evicting the big, bad half-giant, that the disloyal McGonagall had only been an innocent bystander, that she had just gotten in the way. His suspicions were proven correct when Lupin tossed a copy of _The Daily Prophet _onto the table. Severus only had to glance at it to see the main story- _Ex-teacher or half breed menace?_ He scanned the page and a bit further down found that, according to the newspaper, Hagrid had gone crazy and nearly killed 'an unnamed Hogwarts teacher' before 'the esteemed High Inquisitor Umbridge' had driven him off the grounds.

Shaking his head, Severus looked up from the paper and said coolly, "I'm not surprised. Umbridge has been tightening her hold on the school ever since Albus left, it was only a matter of time until something like this happened."

Lupin raised an eyebrow, looking at him suspiciously. "You suggesting that Umbridge was trying to take out McGonagall specifically?"

"No. She's most likely aiming for those closely involved with Potter and Dumbledore. It would explain Trelawney's expulsion and that Hagrid was her next target. When she saw Minerva, my best guess is that she decided to take out two birds with one stone."

Everyone nodded grimly at that, knowing that it was likely exactly what had happened. "Which is why I want you to be very careful at Hogwarts now, Severus," said a new voice from the doorway. Everyone turned around to see Dumbledore walking forward, his face drawn and haggard, like he hadn't slept in weeks. "Umbridge most likely knows that you are in my inner circle as well. I wouldn't be surprised if you were her next target."

Severus smirked at the idea of that little pink troll trying to take him on. She had taken Minerva by surprise, plus she had had three Aurors by her side. Severus would have no trouble incapacitating Umbridge with just a flick of his wand, plus the fact that if she tried it anywhere in public and it came to a duel, there was the entire Slytherin House behind him. And unfortunately for Umbridge, both he and Minerva were popular teachers. Well, were there respective houses. Hagrid and Trewlawney wouldn't be missed, but if Umbridge tried to fire him or Minerva, there would be hell to pay.

Dumbledore seemed to know what he was thinking, as he said, "Severus, while we all know that everybody in this room could take Umbridge on in a duel, I don't want things to come to that. Fighting a member of the Ministry as close to Fudge as Umbridge is would create unnecessary problems, ones that would be difficult to resolve. For now, if she tries to fire you, you should just go."

"Albus, we can't afford to lose our source inside Hogwarts- and now, Severus is the only one left to protect Harry, for god's sakes-"

"My dear Molly, Umbridge may be a cruel plot by the Ministry, but she certainly isn't involved with Voldermort. And once Voldermort makes his move for the prophecy, Fudge will find out about his return, and then we can take more drastic measures to keep Harry safe. As he is now, Voldermort will not attack Hogwarts. Surely, within several months, either we will have convinced the Ministry- unlikely- or Voldermort will have struck- very likely. Until then, all we can do is what we've been doing." Everyone nodded solemnly at that, contemplating their choices and trying to figure out what the hell to do to salvage the situation. Dumbledore sighed, then said, "Severus, I want you to continue giving Harry Occlumency lessons. It is vital we keep Voldermort from getting access to Harry's mind."

Severus sighed but nodded, none too happy about the prospect of continuing to teach the worthless Potter boy Occlumency. After several weeks of lessons, he had barely improved. Against the Dark Lord, he would fall apart in a second. "And Severus?" Dumbledore asked, still not done. "Would you mind delivering something to Minerva for me? I wouldn't be surprised if the Ministry is keeping tabs of all owls sent to people they consider to be threats, and she is no doubt one of them."

Severus nodded again, reaching out to take the letter from him. "And if I may add something, Albus," he said on his way to the door, "Umbridge has been taking my stores of Veritaserum to interrogate the students. Fortunately, I ran out before she got to anybody who knows anything about the Order. But when I have made more in a month's time, there is no doubt that she will eventually get to someone who knows information pertinent to the Order. And in the meantime, she has threatened to use the Cruciatus curse against students who refuse to talk. I doubt she has the will behind it to actually pull off the curse, but as I am being forced to tread lightly, I will be unable to stop her if she does torture a student."

The Weasleys looked at each other nervously while Dumbledore frowned and shook his head furiously. "The Cruciatus curse, Severus? You're sure?"

When Severus nodded, both Lupin and Sirius got to their feet as the latter exclaimed, "That's insanity! She can't do that, the woman's crazy!"

"Don't be so quick to make that assessment, Black," Severus said coldly. "Granted, she has seemed more than slightly off ever since I first saw her, but I doubt that means she won't eventually manage to use the Cruciatus curse on someone. And I would bet her first target would be Potter. He does, after all, know the most information."

Dumbledore sighed and looked away, running his finger along the cool edge of the table. "Severus, if she uses it on anybody that knows about the Order, you must stop her. In this case, the ends justify the means."

Rolling his eyes, Severus buttoned up his cloak and turned to leave. "What do you take me for, Albus? I'm been diluting the Veritaserum I give her when she interrogates anybody important so all it does is sting a bit when swallowed."

"What about Ron, Ginny, Fred and George?" Molly broke in anxiously. "That vile witch hasn't used the curse on any of them, has she?"

Severus shook his head with disdain. "No. Just Veritaserum, which I had already rendered useless. You're welcome. Now, is there anything else?" he asked in exasperation, already eager to be on his way.

When they all shook their heads, he turned to leave, bearing the letter to Minerva in one hand and his wand in the other.

"Severus?" Minerva asked in shock from her bed by the window when he entered the room. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"Delivering this," he said simply, holding out the letter. He couldn't say who it was from in case someone was listening, but the letter probably had enough hidden messages in it to alert Minerva to the sender. "I'm also bringing well wishes from your friends. They said, and I quote, 'Tell her we hope she's feeling better.' Since I was apparently elected to be the messenger, they sent me."

"Yes, because we all know what a wonderful bedside manner you have," she said with a smirk. She propped herself up on her elbows with a wince as she tore open the letter and scanned it quickly. Severus hung back, unsure if he was supposed to stay or just follow his instincts and get the hell out of here.

When Minerva stifled a yawn before refolding the letter, he grabbed the opportunity and said quickly, "I should probably just go. You look tired."

"And so do you," she said stiffly, her steady gaze never leaving his own.

"How is that different from always?"

Minerva chuckled softly and rolled her eyes. "It's not... well, you should get back to Hogwarts. The students need someone there loyal to Dumbledore."

He nodded quickly, eager to get out of the awkward situation. "Don't worry, the school won't shrivel up and die in your absence. In fact, I have a suspicion that those ridiculous Weasley twins are planning something horrible for Umbridge during exams. Something to do with turning a floor into a swamp before flying off on their broomsticks. Good riddance."

Minerva chuckled again, shaking her head. "I'm not surprised. Honestly, I'm surprised they haven't already done it... go on, Severus. I can see you want to leave. You shouldn't miss the Weasley's twins latest fiasco."

He scoffed, shaking his head. "I'd rather not be there for that... you know, I could stay, if you want. It's not a big deal."

Minerva raised an eyebrow skeptically, then said, "Everything is a big deal to you, Severus. And thank you for the offer, but you're needed at Hogwarts right now. Go on, get back there."

Finally, Severus nodded and headed towards the door. When he was almost outside, Minerva called, "Oh, and Severus?" He turned around, a questioning look in his eye, and she said, "And, when the time comes, kick Umbridge's ass for me, would you?"

He smirked and nodded again. "Of course."

Please review


	2. Chapter 2

Sara: Shush, you. Snape is kick ass, and so is McGonagall. And after seeing those pathetic kissing scenes in the movie I'm not in the mood to write anything romantic about Harry, Ron, Hermione, or Ginny. And unless you want Snape to become a necrophiliac, he's not having sex with Lily.

Well, this was originally intended to be a oneshot, but after getting several requests to continue it, I decided to make it a two-shot. Maybe more. It all depends on whether my House muse returns, since I promised them a sequel a while ago. Also, I'm throwing in a time skip- this one takes place during DH- the final battle at Hogwarts- mostly because I just saw Part 2 today, and me and my brother had alot of fun pointing out the HUGE discrepancies with the book. I mean, really. (Spoilers if you haven't seen movie yet, coming up) When did Harry and Voldemort go flying around the castle? And Harry didn't break the Elder Wand. And what happened to Harry's speech about the Elder Wand and remorse to Voldemort before he killed him in the Great Hall, not wherever the hell he was killed? And what happened to Neville and the flaming hat trick? And the diadem wasn't destroyed by a basilisk fang, it was destroyed by the fire curse I think Crabbe set off. Or maybe Goyle. And Goyle isn't black. Well, I could go on all night, you get the picture. Then I got inspired to write this fic. Don't worry, it's based off the book, not the movie, which was great but would have been so much better if it'd just followed the book. ...And that scene in the Chamber of Secrets NEVER happened. What the hell was up with the evil water?

**Chapter 2 **

"_Professor!_" Harry shouted as he doubled over, clutching his head, "_He's here! He's at Hogwarts!_" McGonagall paled before she started issuing instructions to everyone who had stayed behind to fight while Ron and Hermione rushed over to him in a panic. "He knows," he gasped, looking up at them in a panic. "He knows we've been destroying the Horcruxes. He thinks we've got rid of the cup, but the diadem, he's confident we can't find that."

"We can't find it, Harry!" Hermione shouted as she pulled him to his feet. "He don't where the hell it is and we still can't destroy the cup!"

"Excuse me," Luna said, drifting away from the main crowd of people over to them. "If you're looking for the lost diadem of Ravenclaw... well, no one alive has ever seen it." At the trio's gazes of confusion, she sighed and exclaimed, "Isn't it obvious? Ask someone who's dead! The ghost of Ravenclaw tower."

Harry hesitated, then nodded. "All right, I'll go find her. Ron, Hermione-"

"Harry, wait. The cup. I know how we can destroy the cup!" Ron exclaimed excitably, looking between him and Hermione.

Harry didn't waste a second thinking about it, just handed him the cup and gave them the Marauder's Map. "Fine, go, find me on it after you've destroyed it!" Harry's sense of urgency was growing; the Death Eaters were only moments away from the castle and he had already run out of time.

Severus watched Potter's trio separate from his spot in the corner. He was hidden from everybody else's sight by a cheap invisibility charm- the Dark Lord's orders were for him to remain behind and fight with the rest of the Death Eaters. But it no longer mattered. The war was over tonight, one way or another, and he wasn't going to fight for the Dark Lord. He knew he couldn't fight for Hogwarts; no one would believe him if he told them about Lily, that he had played traitor this past year because he had to remain in a position of power so, when the time was right, he could tell Potter about the piece of Voldemort's soul hidden inside him. They would most likely kill him on the spot- so he would wait. He would remain invisible and do what he could to help Hogwarts.

Unfortunately, he still had the problem of how the hell would he get Potter to listen to him without killing him first. By the sound of it, he had destroyed every Horcrux save for the cup, diadem, and Nagini. Except for the one inside Harry, of course. If Weasley was correct about whatever hunch of his he had had, then the cup would soon be gone, though he was still at a loss for how they could find the diadem or kill Nagini. Severus knew it was hidden somewhere in the castle, but Albus had never been able to find it, and neither had he, in this past year. And Nagini had rarely been allowed to leave the Dark Lord's side before the Horcruxes were being destroyed- now he would never let anyone near her.

Except Severus could get near her. Near enough to kill her.

He just needed an excuse.

* * *

><p>Severus knew. He knew from the moment Lucius told him that the Dark Lord wanted to see him.<p>

He ignored his personal regrets and focused on the final task Albus had assigned him. If Potter didn't find out about the Horcrux hidden inside of him now, the likelihood that Hogwarts would win this battle was zero. The odds of anyone defeating the Dark Lord were the same. But he still had no choice. He couldn't join Hogwarts out in the open yet, they still wouldn't trust him and would kill him. And if he stayed invisible and didn't answer the Dark Lord's commands, he would be killed without having a chance to relay the message to Potter.

So he settled for the best option he had: he put the memories of Lily, of his betrayal of the Dark Lord and turning to Albus, of the truth about the night Potter's parents were killed, in a vial, which he hid inside his robes. He could only hope that it somehow found it's way to Potter.

"Who is the real master of the Elder Wand, Severus?" The Dark Lord asked as he paced slowly around the Shrieking Shack.

Severus hesitated, fingering the vial hidden in his pocket, unsure of where he was going with this. "You are."

"No. No, I am not the master of the Elder Wand. Not yet, at least."

He frowned, thinking perhaps that he had been wrong, that the Dark Lord had not brought him to be killed. "You have performed extraordinary magic in the past few hours alone with that wand, My Lord-"

"No, Severus, I am extraordinary. This wand... it is merely ordinary. For me, that is. Which leads me to believe that I am not the master of the Elder Wand. Why would that be, Severus?" he asked, looking up at Severus curiously, though he knew the Dark Lord was anything but.

_He doesn't know_, thought Severus incredulously. _He thinks I am the master of the Elder Wand. He doesn't know. _And then, more morose, _After everything I've lived through, I'm about to die because of a misunderstanding? _Out loud, he said nothing, wanting to prolong this as long as possible. He had to buy Potter and the others- here, he ignored the fact that the picture his mind conjured for the others was of Minerva and Minerva alone- more time. He had to buy them more time. Maybe, Potter would face Voldemort on his own and the Horcrux would be killed by Voldemort himself, by luck.

"I think you know... no, perhaps not. Well, you have been most loyal, Severus. I will at least explain it to you, before I kill you. You do deserve that much, I think." Severus swallowed, focusing on keeping his emotions off his face. If the Dark Lord knew that the Elder Wand could be won through disarming, he already would have tried it on Severus. That meant if the Dark Lord learned the Elder Wand wasn't Severus's before he struck, he could only come to one conclusion- that Dumbledore's death had been arranged by none other than Albus and Severus themselves. And if the Dark Lord discovered the truth about Severus's alliances these past years, his wrath would not be containable. Severus was dead either way, but with option two, Voldemort would attack Hogwarts himself. And no matter how many remained behind to fight, they would not be able to hold out for long.

So he remained silent as Voldemort explained, "I took this wand from Dumbledore... but that's not important, is it? Because this wand's power changes hands when it's previous master is killed. But I never killed Dumbledore, Severus- that was you."

Severus bit his tongue and instead of laughing out loud at the fact that he was going to be killed because of the Dark Lord's ignorance and did what was expected- plead for his life. He did not get far. "My Lord-"

"Don't bother, Severus, I don't want to draw this out any longer than necessary. It is a pity... my most loyal servant, killed because of your most meaningful gift to me. Well, no use thinking of how unfair this is to you, Severus. The world only has room for one great wizard, and that wizard most possess the Elder Wand." Before Severus could say another word, Voldemort had hissed an order at Nagini and she had struck.

Harry flinched when he saw the snake flash forward and heard a horrible scream and a crunching sound before looking away. He didn't want to see that brutal killing, even if the man he hated perhaps the most was the one being killed. When he heard Voldemort disappear again, though, he hurried out from behind his hiding place over to Snape.

It took one look at his wounds to know that, even if he knew the proper spells to heal someone, he wouldn't be able to save Snape's life. His injuries were just too severe. Snape coughed, splattering him with blood, his eyes widening with shock when he saw who was before him. Struggling to raise a shaking hand, he clutched the front of Harry's robes and pulling him closer. "Take it," he wheezed, managing to pull out the vial with his memories and let it fall to the floor. "Take them." His eyes focused on Harry's for one long moment, trying to see Lily in them before they closed for what should of been the last time.

Harry stared at Snape for a moment, then swallowed hard and let go of the dying man's hand and grabbed the vial on the floor. Memories. Memories of what? Something in Snape's voice when he had pleaded for Harry to take them told him he really should see them… shaking his head, he got to his feet and dashed from the room. He could only hope that whatever his worst enemy had left him would help him kill Voldemort, since he didn't have any ideas on what to do next.

But if Harry had stayed even a moment longer, he would of seen Fawkes appear with a burst of flame above Snape. Snape was already unconscious, so he didn't see the life-saving phoenix tears falling on Nagini's bite marks.

* * *

><p>Severus groaned as he opened his eyes in shock, staring around the room. The Shrieking Shack? But that had been where the Dark Lord had killed him with Nagini. No one had ever survived an attack from that snake. After years of Voldemort's curses, her venom had grown more potent than a Basilisk- and Voldemort was anything but incompetent.<p>

So why he was still alive?

He looked around in confusion, either too tired or too sore to move, freezing when he saw the red feather on the ground next to him. A phoenix feather.

_Fawkes!_

Severus sat bolt upright, looking himself over urgently. Every part of him worked, and the only thing that seemed wrong with him was a soreness that encompassed his whole body. "Oh my god," he whispered, hesitantly getting to his feet with the aid of the wall, mostly because he was afraid to trust his own feet. He took a hesitant step forward, becoming more confident when his strength didn't fail him.

Voldemort had failed in his attempts to kill again. And this time, it was all through Voldemort's main fault- he loved to put on flashy shows when he thought his victory was assured. If he had simply aimed to kill quickly, Harry never would of escaped that graveyard the night of his return. And now, if he had just used the Killing Curse, not even Fawkes could of saved him. But instead he had used Nagini, and as a result, everybody would believe he was dead. And there were benefits with being dead. No one would be looking for him, and if he hid in the right places, no one would see him. And with the Death Eaters under the impression that he was fighting for them, he could hide amongst their ranks and takes out a dozen at once.

With a cold smile, Severus turned and ran back to the castle. His duties for Albus were finally complete. Now it was time to do something for himself.

HPHPHP

Minerva swore as she ducked under another curse, wondering how the hell she had gotten stuck fighting _three_ Death Eaters at once. Right now, she'd rather be fighting Severus anyways, but the coward had disappeared when she and Flitwick had cornered him.

She avoided a jet of green light from Bellatrix, trying to find a way to duel all three at the same time, unaware that a fourth Death Eater had just murdered a young student behind her and was now aiming for her.

Severus saw Alecto turn his wand for Minerva and didn't stop to think. He shouted, _"Protego!" _and a shield expanded around the middle of the hall, blocking the curse from hitting her. The force of his shield threw Minerva back several feet and made the Death Eaters stumble, giving him the chance to stupefy two of the Death Eaters before Bellatrix aimed a killing curse at him- he remained invisible, so no one could see him, but they knew generally where the spells were coming from. The spell missed him by an inch and collided with a suit of armor next to him, which blasted apart. One of the pieces hit him on the head and knocked him out while the rest piled on top of him. But, once again, he was alive.

Minerva would of been stuck with Bellatrix and Alecto if Voldemort hadn't chosen that moment to withdraw his forces. "You have fought valiantly," his voice echoed inside all of their heads, "but in vain. You can not keep me out forever. Dispose of your dead with dignity, and remember this: every drop of magical blood spilled is a waste. All you must do is hand over Harry Potter, and I will leave you all be. I order my forces to retreat, so we can give them the chance to chose the only valid choice. Harry Potter, I now speak to you and you alone: Your friends have fought and died for you. That is the greatest dishonor; to allow someone to die in your place. Come out and face me, in the Forbidden Forest, and no one else will die. You have one hour."

Bellatrix and every other Death Eater disappeared from the castle, just moments before those fighting for Hogwarts raised their wands again. "_Cowards!_" Minerva shouted after her opponent, breathing hard before turning to look at the fallen suit of armor. That voice who had shouted the spell that had saved her life... it was faintly recognizable... familiar.

She shook her head before heading starting to pick her way though the wreckage. Whoever it was was dead now... dead because they had tried to protect her. She didn't want to see their face. She started searching for other survivors, determined to put that voice out of her head. She must have imagined that it sounded like Severus. He had made his allegiance clear enough.

* * *

><p>Severus regained consciousness when he should of been dead for the second time in as many hours. He frowned, squinting at the wreckage covering him before kicking it all off him with a wince. He couldn't move his left arm, and further examination proved to him that it was broken. He tried to heal it, but Nagini's assault and then being crushed by a suit of armor had exhausted him so much he couldn't pull it off. Sighing, he clutched his injury closer to his chest and kicked stone blocks out of his way, stepping over bodies of Death Eaters and students, wondering where everybody was.<p>

He did not remain in the dark for long. As soon as he rounded the corner, he heard screams and the sounds of explosions coming from the Great Hall and saw the people fighting to get inside. In his hurry, he almost forget to make himself invisible so no one would kill him. He ran forward as silently as he could, making it inside in time to see Bellatrix Lestrange killed. He smirked as she was blasted backwards, then froze when he saw who Voldemort was fighting- Kingsley, Slughorn- and, a sight that scared him far more than the others- Minerva.

When he saw Voldemort scream with fury and blast back his three opponents, Severus shouted, "_No!_" and dashed forward to where Minerva had collided with the wall, all the while thinking, _No, no, no, I'm not going to let him take another one! He's not going to kill ANOTHER woman that I love!_ He ducked between people until he finally reached her. She was alive; struggling to get to her feet amid the rubble and dust from the fights earlier. He breathed a sigh of relief before turning his attention to the center of the room, where Voldemort was looking around wildly for whoever had protected had brought up a shield to stop him from killing somebody else. Everyone else gasped in shock when the Potter boy pulled off his Invisibility cloak and stepped forward, and he heard murmurs of, 'He's alive!' rushing through the crowd.

Severus just watched intently, unaware that the Dark Lord had previously announced that he had killed Harry Potter. "I killed you!" Voldemort shouted, furious. "I killed you!"

"No, you didn't, Voldemort. You tried to kill me. But you only killed yourself."

"You're lying!' Voldemort shouted, the two circling each other. "I don't know how you escaped last time, but it _will_ be the last time! You may have destroyed my Horcruxes, boy, but you still must kill me. Neither can live while the other survives, is that right, Potter? You can't kill me. There's only one way for this night to end. For you to be here now means you must believe you possess some magic that I do not, or a weapon that is more powerful than mine."

Harry _laughed_. He actually _laughed_ at that. Severus knew that there was no one in this room who could take the Dark Lord on and survive, much less kill him, certainly not that arrogant child. "Tom, I believe both."

Voldemort cackled at that, shaking his head at the childishness of the boy. "Oh, is it Dumbledore's _love_ again? Are you going to quote Dumbledore's lines to me again? Well, I have some news for you, boy! He is dead! Dumbledore is dead! What's all his love worth now?"

"What you don't understand, Tom, is that Dumbledore has planned all this from the beginning."

Voldemort glared at him, then shouted, "Dumbledore is _dead!_ I arranged his death, it came to pass through my orders! He is not coming back!"

Harry just shrugged. "You're right about him being dead, but it wasn't because you ordered it. Severus Snape may have cast the Killing Curse, but it was on Dumbledore's orders, you foolish man! Dumbledore and Snape arranged it months beforehand!"

"Do you still not get it, Potter?" Voldemort screeched, though there was a hint of fear in his voice now. "Snape was _mine!_ He was _my_ servant! _My_ Death Eater! I ordered him to play on Dumbledore's side until the last moment, when he would betray him!"

"And do _you _still not get it, Tom?" Harry shouted, advancing on him. "Severus Snape was never yours! And if you understood what you were missing, then you would have realized that from the beginning! He loved my mother, Tom. And you believed that, after her death, when he said he no longer cared for her, you believed that? Snape went to Dumbledore before you killed my parents and begged him to save her! Ever since that night, he has been on our side! Do you want to know how I destroyed the locket, Tom? Severus sent us the sword of Gryffindor! _Severus Snape_. He has not been fighting for you for nearly twenty years. And you were blind to that fact because you didn't realize how powerful an emotion love is. You want to know why you your spells don't work on anyone here, Tom? Because I went to fight you, to _die_ for them, and I did die for them, and now? Now, it's just you and me. And I can defeat you."

Tom laughed at him again. "Whether I believe your lies about Snape or not, he is dead now. I killed him, and the Elder Wand is mine! You truly think you can defeat me? You truly think-"

"Tom, I could stand here and listen to you wax eloquent about how much better a wizard you are than me, or I could tell you this: The Elder Wand isn't yours because it never belonged to Snape! Haven't you been listening to me! Snape never won the won from Dumbledore! Draco Malfoy did! But I won the wand from him when I disarmed him back at Malfoy Manor. The wand you're holding, Tom, is mine. And you can't kill me with my own wand."

Voldemort remained frozen for a second, then just shook his head and chuckled. "Whether its yours or not doesn't matter, Potter. And when I've killed you, it will be mine."

"We'll see about that, Tom." The two continued to stare at each other for one long moment, then jumped into action.

_"Expelliarmus-"_

_"Avada Kedavra-"_

They shouted their spells at the same time and they met in mid air. Everyone stared in shock as the two battled for dominance, but Harry had been right. The Elder Wand refused to kill its master, and Voldemort's curse rebounded, hitting him squarely in the chest, killing him in an instant.

Everyone watched in amazement for a moment, spellbound, then erupted into cheers, crowding around the boy who had saved them all. Severus just slumped back against the wall, letting his invisibility charm fade away as he collapsed in exhaustion.

It was over. Finally, everything was over.

* * *

><p>Minerva was just leaving the Great Hall when she spotted a dark figure slumped over in a corner. Something about the man was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. She hesitantly approached him, fingering her wand uncertainly. The figure finally looked up at her when she came to stand right in front on him, and they both gasped. "Severus?" she whispered, momentarily stunned. "What- oh my god, how- what..."<p>

Severus fumbled inside his robes for a moment, then produced a phoenix feather Fawkes had left behind. "Phoenix tears are stronger than snake venom," he offered weakly before letting it drop to the ground.

Minerva stared at him for a moment, fumbling for something to say. "Wha... but... your face, its..." Severus frowned in confusion, unsure of what she was trying to tell him. Finally, Minerva picked up a shard of glass from the ground and handed it to him. "Look at yourself," she managed. He hesitated before tilting the glass and trying to see his reflection in it.

He gasped. Nagini's assault had left a horrible scar across his face, arcing from his jaw line to his forehead, the sharp pale line permanently etched into his even paler skin. He stared at it for a second, then dropped the shard to the ground, smiling when it broke into two smaller pieces. "I guess there are some things phoenix tears can't cure."

Minerva hesitated before sitting down next to him, still watching him in amazement. "Severus.. is everything Potter said back then true? About Albus's death, and that this past year, you've really been on our side all along?"

Severus nodded. "Ever since the beginning."

"And You-Know-Who…Voldemort figured it out? That's why he tried to kill you?"

He shook his head and chuckled. "No... that one's a long story."

"I don't mind listening to it."

Severus shrugged, then sighed. "I'll tell you. But let's get out of here." He looked pointedly at the dead body next to him of a young student, and Minerva nodded quickly. They both stood up and headed out of the Great Hall, where there was more rubble but less dead bodies.

"What's wrong with your arm?" Minerva observed as they were picking a path through the mess, noticing he held it close to his body and avoided using it as much as possible.

Severus looked down at it, then shrugged. "I'm not sure. Its probably broken, from when Bellatrix tried to kill me but hit a suit of armor instead."

Minerva blinked in surprise, then turned to face him. "Wait, that was you? You're the one who put up the shield charm?" Severus nodded. "But... why?"

"I'm wasn't going to let Voldemort's people kill everyone in sight, Minerva. I've been on your side this whole time, remember?" he said coldly.

Blushing slightly, she shrugged, then nodded. "Yes... I'm sorry. But this past year, everyone's got so used to thinking of you as the villain."

"I know. That was the point."

The two held each other's gaze for a moment before Minerva broke it, looking down at Severus's arm, taking his hand so she could examine it. She pursed her lips, then shook her head and said, "It looks pretty bad. I'm not sure if I can heal it myself. We may have to get-"

"Just leave it, Minerva. I'm sure there are a lot worse injuries than mine."

"Still," she insisted, "that doesn't mean that we should just leave it alone like that. Humor me, Severus." He glared at her, then relented with a sigh.

"Fine. You get what you want, but then I get what I want."

"And that is?" Minerva asked as she led him back to the Great Hall, where Madam Pomfrey was treating the injured.

Severus groaned when he saw how many people were inside, both dead and alive, and lowered his head, hoping to remain unrecognized. You create a distraction so I can leave without getting accosted by people, and then meet up with me later so I can explain everything... because I know I have alot to explain."

Minerva nodded easily as she led him over to where many of the injured had gathered. "Deal."

Everybody was celebrating the downfall of Voldemort. No one was on the alert for the anything suspicious, so with Minerva by his side, everybody assumed he was just another wizard exhausted by fighting all night. No one examined him close enough to see past the greasy curtains of his black hair, to see a ghost back from the dead. "So," Severus murmured to her as they made their way through the crowds of people, "What exactly happened after Bellatrix tried to kill me? I woke up when Potter was talking to Voldemort about the Elder Wand."

So Minerva filled him in on everything she knew, which really wasn't much. She knew that Voldemort had told everyone in the castle to hand over Harry Potter, but what happened after that was unclear. Eventually, though, Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters had shown up, with a supposedly dead Harry Potter. Except he hadn't been dead. "But there's no cure for the Killing Curse-" Minerva began, interrupted by Madam Pomfrey.

"Severus!" She gasped, staring at him in shock. "Severus Snape! But- But I thought He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named said that he- but you- and your face, its-"

He groaned heavily before producing the phoenix feather once again. "Voldemort used his snake, and Fawkes got to me in time."

"But- but," she stammered, "you- your face, and-"

"Look," he sighed, "can you just fix my arm and send me on my way? I'm not here to answer questions," he said coldly, holding out his broken arm at an awkward angle. The younger witch blinked, still shocked, then tenderly started examining his arm, though her eyes kept flicking back up to Severus's face.

Severus and Minerva both glanced over when they heard Luna exclaim something about one of her fantasy creatures, attracting the attention of everyone near her. However, most people didn't notice the boy sitting next to her vanish when everybody's attention was attracted elsewhere. But Severus did.

He smiled slightly, thinking of how much the child was like his mother. Lily, too, had hated the limelight. He remembered all the way back to the day they were sorted into houses, and her face had turned beet red when her name was called and she had ducked her head, telling him later that she had been praying to disappear.

Maybe he wasn't just like his father after all. He _did_ have his mother's eyes.

Shaking his head, Severus attracted his attention back to the two witches standing by his side just as the younger one began talking again. "You should avoid using it for about a day," she said as she wrapped it up in the remains of a bloody sheet which had been fashioned into a sling, "but it should be fine in no more than a couple days."

He nodded his thanks briskly before standing and turning to Minerva. "Now, I believe you have to fulfill your part of the bargain."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Of course. I'll meet you outside of the Great Hall in five minutes, Severus. Don't run off, because I know you want to, but I want an explanation for everything that's happened this past year."

He smirked, watching as she proceeded to the head of the hall and shot sparks into the air. Severus didn't pause to hear whatever fantastic thing she was announcing, just slipped away and waited for her to make her appearance.

Five minutes later, they were wandering through the ruins of the castle, where the bodies of most of the Death Eaters had been left untended to, but those fighting for Hogwarts had already been taken care of. "So," he said as they stepped over the crushed remains of a pillar, "what do you want to know?"

Minerva hesitated. She had many questions, and though she knew most would be answered later, she wanted some answers now. "How is the boy still alive? And why did Voldemort try to kill you?"

He sighed, trying to gather his thoughts. Dumbledore hadn't told him everything, though he had picked up on a lot of things this past year. "I assume you've heard of the Deathly Hallows?" he asked finally.

She shrugged. "That old children's story? Of course."

"Its not a children's story. Ever wonder how Dumbledore was such a powerful wizard, Minerva? For years, it was just him, but after he fought Grindelwald, it was more. He won the Elder Wand from Grindelwald. Voldemort had the Resurrection Stone but didn't realize it, so he left it behind as a Horcrux; Dumbledore found it eventually. And the Invisibility Cloak of Potter's? That was one of the Deathly Hallows. The boy didn't know it for a while, but Dumbledore knew. As did Voldemort, though he wasn't interested in it. Only the Elder Wand. He stole it from Dumbledore's grave, but that's not enough, to win the wand's allegiance. You have to kill its former master. He believed that the wand didn't serve him because I was its master. You heard what Potter said before he killed him, you know the rest of that story. As for the boy's survival this time around... well, this time, I can only guess. But that is a long story either way."

He told Minerva everything Albus had told him about the Horcruxes and the one inside Harry, and that Harry's blood was inside Voldemort, from the night he had returned three years ago. That it had tethered Harry to this world, but the Horcrux had been killed. And that, of course, led to a longer tale about the other Horcruxes, how Harry himself had destroyed the diary over five years ago, about the curse in Dumbledore's hand from the ring, and how that was when Albus began planning how and when he would die. "But as for the others?" Severus finished as they came to a rest before a crushed staircase. "I'm positive his snake was a Horcrux, but as for what the others may have been, I have no idea. But that is what Harry and his two friends have spent this past year tracking down."

"Wow," Minerva said softly as they sat down together. "That's a hell of a story. Certainly does explain alot... but not everything."

"Not everything. Of course," he said with a sigh.

She shook her head. "No, not everything. You're saying you've been a double agent for seventeen years? The whole time?" Severus nodded. "After he returned, you were working for the Order... giving reports on him _about_ the Order... on Dumbledore's orders?" Another nod. "You killed Albus by his own request? And this past year- when _you_ sanctioned the torture of students- that was all just so Voldemort would trust you?"

Severus sighed. "You see why I refused any friends these past few years. The less people I talked to, the less chance of me giving something away."

Minerva shook her head, looking back on the past few years, unable to believe Severus had really been on their side this entire time. "And everything Potter said about his mother?" she finally asked quietly. "All that... was it true as well?"

He swallowed hard, looking away. Eventually, he murmured, "Yes. Yes, it was."

It was absolutely silent when she finally asked him, "And do you love her still?"

He shrugged. "I'll always love her. Doesn't mean I can't love somebody else." The two looked up at each other in silence, Minerva's eyes widening in surprise.

"Severus... is this your subtle way of saying you want something more than friendship with me?"

His only answer was another shrug. "If you want. Either way, friendship or something more, its your choice, Minerva. Just... know this. I saw someone nearly kill you twice tonight- first, with Bellatrix, then Voldemort. And I saw dozens of people survive death by an inch tonight, but you're the only one I remember."

Minerva stared at him in shock. No one had ever thought about Severus Snape having a relationship of any sort. The thought of him doing anything besides evil was unheard of... but now that she knew the truth about the last seventeen years...

But first, she had to know something, before she answered his question. "Severus, you saved my life tonight. Why? Was it just because I wasn't a Death Eater? Or something more?"

"I don't know. When I saw you fighting Voldemort, I... I just remember thinking that I couldn't let him take another one, another woman that I..."

"That you what?" she asked softly.

He shook his head not willing to admit the rest of that thought aloud. "Just that I wasn't going to let him kill another one of my friends," he lied.

Minerva went from hesitant to a cold fury in a second. "You know, Severus, if you're going to lie to me now, then there's no point of us even continuing this discussion. I don't need or want-"

"All right, all right, I wasn't going to let him kill another woman that I loved! But, honestly? I don't know if its because I've known you for nearly twenty years now and we're just friends, as you people say, or if its something more. I don't know if I _want_ something more. I've spent the last seventeen years trying to avenge Lily. And now she's been avenged and I don't have a purpose anymore. I've spent so long being both Dumbledore's and Voldemort's pawn that I haven't actually fought for _myself_ in a while. Feels like forever."

"Its not so hard to live for a purpose besides revenge, Severus."

"But I don't know how," he muttered under his breath, gazing at the ground forlornly.

"Why don't you allow me to show you?"

Severus raised his head to stare at Minerva with black eyes, examining her expression for any signs of lies of deceit. It was true, he had spent so long living in deception he wasn't sure if he could. But, perhaps Minerva could help him.

Finally, he said, "I... I'd like that." They both hesitated, brown eyes meeting black, until Minerva leaned forward and kissed him.

Once again, me continuing this depends on my other fics and my muse. Don't expect daily updates, or even monthly ones. As for now, its complete, only to be continued when I get bored. Please review


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